CU Boulder students build framework to measure Sundance’s 2027 environmental footprint
The framework is intended to guide later festival data collection and help Boulder determine how many renewable-energy credits to attribute to the event.
Published at
University of Colorado Boulder graduate students are developing a framework to measure the environmental footprint of the 2027 Sundance Film Festival. The work is intended to help Boulder determine how many renewable-energy credits to retire and attribute to the event. Students and city staff outlined the project’s scope and data needs at a Nov. 4 meeting of the Boulder Environmental Advisory Board.
City staff said Boulder’s agreement with the Sundance Institute includes renewable-energy credits generated by municipal hydroelectric facilities. Staff said the credits would offset some of the festival’s environmental impact.
The students are considering impacts directly tied to festival operations, such as venue energy use, and impacts associated with attending, including travel, lodging and food. Potential measurement categories include transportation, energy, waste, water, food and procurement. The team is considering social effects separately, with the possibility of assessing them more qualitatively.
The students are identifying possible data sources, narrowing what to measure and testing calculation methods with sample calculations and proxies. City staff identified possible measures including venue electricity and water use, festival-related waste and vehicle travel within Boulder. Future project teams and partners are expected to collect actual festival data, using methods and data-source information handed off by the students to the city, the university and the Sundance Institute.